Shrubs or trees, 40–100[–120] dm. Stems: trunk bark freshly exposed ± orange, older gray-brown, flattened-scaly, exfoliating in elongate strips; compound thorns on trunks usually absent; thorns on twigs determinate or indeterminate. Leaves ˂deciduous˃; petiole length 30–50% blade; blade broadly elliptic to obovate or ovate to deltate, lobes 1–3 per side, sinuses shallow or deep, venation craspedodromous, veins to lobes and sinuses; ˂blades on extension shoots sometimes fully pinnate˃. Inflorescences 3–15-flowered; branches glabrous [to lanate]; bracteoles caducous, ± linear, small, membranous, margins entire or denticulate or with small protuberances or pegs bearing terminal, small glands. Flowers 8–22 mm diam.; sepals narrowly triangular; stamens [10–]20, ˂filaments long˃, anthers pink to purple; styles 1–3. Pomes bright to dark red [black], ± orbicular to ± cylindric, 6–14 mm diam., ˂glabrous [to tomentose]˃; ˂flesh yellowish˃; sepal remnants persistent; pyrenes 1–3, dorsally shallowly grooved, sides grooved [plane].

Species ca. 25 (2 in the flora): introduced; Europe, w Asia, n Africa; introduced also in South America, s Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia.

Crataegus oxyacantha Linnaeus, a suppressed name of ser. Crataegus, has been replaced by C. rhipidophylla Gandoger. There are several instances of its misapplication in North America to C. monogyna.